Thursday 18 October 2023
Dear Members
Re Battery fires and safety – we need your help!
The waste and resource recovery (WARR) sector is seeing an increase in the number of fires in our vehicles and facilities due to the ongoing incorrect disposal of batteries.
The incidence of these fires is fast becoming the most significant issue for our sector. Anecdotal information tells us we are seeing more than one (1) fire incident a week in either a truck or a facility that is battery related, with the cost to respond to these and even replace trucks and facilities being a significant financial impost on industry. The recent report on battery safety released by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) stated there is a lack of specific data on lithium-ion (li-ion) battery fires on a national basis. However, it cited information provided by some of the state-based fire brigades noting significant increases:
• Fire and Rescue NSW reported 149 battery-related incidents between 1 January and 15 September 2023 – a 16% increase on the same time last year. Of these incidents, 41% involved small portable devices.
• Queensland Fire and Emergency Services recorded 157 li-ion fires between 1 July 2021 and 17 January 2023, but indicated that figure is likely underreported due to the difficulties in determining the exact cause of such fires.
• WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services reported a 400% increase in li-ion fires between 2018 and 2022.
Federal Government figures estimate a staggering 90% of used handheld batteries are going to landfill or disposed of incorrectly. This is highly problematic as it means they are being placed in our collection vehicles and possibly moving through our facilities with a real chance of causing fires and creating risk to human health and environmental damage.
Without action, it is only a matter of time before another facility is severely damaged or one (1) of our essential workers is seriously injured.
The message is very simple - do not put batteries in the bin.
There are options available for regular ‘AA’ and other sized standard batteries, button batteries, rechargeable batteries and easily removable batteries by dropping them at the dedicated recycling points at many large retailers including Woolworths, Coles, Bunnings and Officeworks. Please check the B-cycle website site for further details. Items containing embedded batteries should be disposed of at e-waste recycling facilities. A number of products have specific take back schemes such as:
• mobiles and telephones through Mobile Muster.
• televisions, computers, tablets, printers, monitors, computer accessories (eg keyboards, mice, webcams, USBs) and cables through TechCollect.
Many councils and state governments also run e-waste drop off days or events. Please check your local council website for details.
WMRR is working with B-cycle and other like-minded organisations, such as Clean Up Australia, to find an urgent solution to this issue. We have also written to state and federal governments on the need for urgent coordinated action.
In the meantime, we are asking you please keep reinforcing that batteries do not go in the bin, under any circumstances. We acknowledge many councils and partners have run awareness campaigns in the past. However, we ask all members, to undertake further public information campaigns to inform the community how to dispose of batteries correctly and warn of the dangers of those that are not.
More information on battery safety can be found at www.bcycle.com.au. B-cycle is also developing new collateral around battery safety and safe disposal which will be available shortly.
The WARR sector wants to address this issue before another facility or vehicle is damaged by fire or one (1) of our workers is seriously injured.
Thank you for your co-operation and ongoing support of WMRR and the WARR sector.
Yours sincerely
Gayle Sloan
Chief Executive Officer
Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia